Questions are being raised about how armoured vehicle companies screen potential employees in the wake of last week’s shooting deaths of three armed security guards in Alberta, allegedly by a colleague.

As police begin to build their case against 21-year-old Travis Brandon Baumgartner, security experts say the horrific incident shows the need for companies to be on the lookout for warning signs and have policies to deal with unusual behaviour or odd social media postings.

On June 1, less than two months after his hiring at G4S Cash Solutions, Baumgartner wrote on his Facebook profile: “I wonder if I’d make the six o’clock news if I just started popping people off.” Baumgartner’s account features a large picture of a human skull engulfed in red flames and a photo of himself wearing sunglasses and a black balaclava over his face.

Then, on June 5, Baumgartner quoted lyrics from the song, “Viking Death March,” by punk rock band Billy Talent: “Crosses to burn, axes to fall and down on your knees you just don’t look so tall.”

Robin Steinberg, a spokesperson for G4S, said all employees go through an extensive pre-employment screening process that includes behavioural interviews and a test scoring candidates on integrity, social and work behaviours and social experience, as well as English and math competency. The company also conducts credit and criminal record checks of all applicants.

Employees required to carry a gun, like Baumgartner, must obtain a federal firearms licence, the process for which also includes a background check.

G4S also checks a candidate’s personal and professional references.

“It’s quite thorough,” said Steinberg.

The company does not, however, monitor employees’ social media accounts. That policy may change, noted Steinberg, after the completion of an internal company investigation into the incident.

“Providing legally we can do so, that may be a step that we add.”

Steinberg added that employees are encouraged to report any odd behaviour of colleagues to supervisors, and have the option of using a company hotline to report anonymously. She said she was not aware of any such reports concerning Baumgartner.

Baumgartner faces three counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder. He is alleged to have shot and killed colleagues Eddie Rejano, 39, Michelle Shegelski, 26, and Brian Ilesic, 35, on Friday at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. A fourth shooting victim, Matthew Schuman, remains in hospital in critical condition.

The Alberta man was arrested Saturday at a B.C. border crossing just north of Lynden, Wash., with $330,000 in his pickup truck.

Toronto-based security expert David Hyde said any large security organization should have a policy that clearly states expectations around personal and professional use of social media, including whether the company intends to monitor employee accounts, provided laws allow for such monitoring.

“Because social media changes so quickly, it presents a whole new frontier for security companies,” Hyde said. “If you are monitoring your employees’ social media activity, you don’t have to troll into every conversation. But if you set parameters to watch for key terms or words, and those words are used, you could go in and look at that particular information. It’s not snooping or probing — there has to be a threshold that is crossed.”

He also noted that most armoured car guards are on the lower end of the wage scale, making anywhere between $15 and $22 an hour — not a lot considering their role is to guard sometimes millions of dollars.

“They could hire someone who has only Grade 10, they could hire somebody that’s 65 years old, there are no real standards and restrictions. In a sense, the companies have to self-regulate,” Hyde said. “I would like to think that these companies, particularly the biggies that have lawyers and profits and losses to think about are doing a lot of the right things and aren’t hiring unsuitable people.”

Edmonton police Supt. Bob Hassel told reporters Monday Baumgartner is in custody in Langley, B.C., and is cooperating with investigators. The accused is expected to appear in court in Edmonton within the next six days, he said.